A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Maurice J. Sinkfield, 33, of Cleveland, with assaulting federal officers as well as firearms offenses, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Sinkfield, who was wanted on an arrest warrant, assaulted a Deputy U.S. Marshal and a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal with a motor vehicle. Sinkfield also possessed a firearm and ammunition despite prior convictions for robbery and domestic violence that precluded him from having firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Megan R. Miller is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
If convicted, the court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.